Contributors

Friday, July 25, 2008

mixed feelings

Today was my birthday and it was also time to say goodbye to everyone. The dorms are so empty and quiet, you can here a pin drop.I am a bit happy to return to California and see my family but I am sad that I won't be able to see the girls anymore.

My capstone project presentation was okay, I was a bit nervous but I conquered my nerves and gave my presentation. I noticed that the other students were just as nervous as I was and that I did not have anything to worry about.My bags are packed and ready for tomorrow!

I want to thank everyone who gave me the opportunity to be here. This was a great learning experience and I am surely going to encourage all my friends to go to college. I feel that I can go back to my community with the confidence necessary to create change. You guys have really changed my life. You guys are an inspiration. Words can't describe my gratitude.

Special thanks to Ms. Kronenberg and Mr. Ramsey, thank you for everything.

2 comments:

Your welcome, Adriana. Happy Birthday. I hope all of the girls had a good time celebrating your birthday. I am now back on the East Coast at the University of Pennsylvania. I just took the train from the Airport to the school. I wanted to save a few bucks so I just jumped on the train rather than take a taxi. The only thing I regret is that I had a seven block walk with all my luggage drapped over my shoulder, but being in OK shape I made it.

So, I am glad that you loved Brown and that you will encourage all of your classmates to attend college. This is excellent and I hope they take you up on the offer. Being in the Women and Leadership class gave you a lot of confidence and made you see the world in a very different way. I am proud of all of you and I hopeful that you will keep Brown on your list as a school to apply to.

As Don likes to say, "your posts justify every penny that was invested to have all of you have this chance to see the larger community". Thanks again, Adriana and I am glad that you had a chance to enjoy your birthday with the other ladies and that all of you went down to the Mall for some fun.

Have a safe flight home and I look forward to seeing you and your new principal, Ms. Latoya Williams, this coming September.

Adriana⎯A belated Happy Birthday to you. Sometimes it can’t be avoided but when possible, birthdays should always be spent with friends and family and I’m sorry you had to miss that.

I can’t really explain to you and the rest of your team just how proud we all are about what you’ve accomplished these past couple of weeks. You really aren’t the same people you were when you left on that dark Saturday morning.

Please don’t get me wrong⎯you were all great people to begin with or you wouldn’t have been selected to participate in this program but you’ve all evolved so much in such a short time while away.

And, as it usually is, now that you’ve changed and enlightened, we expect even greater things from you.

You guessed it, Adriana, we’re never satisfied. Give us an ice cream sundae and we expect a cherry on top.

You’re now armed with some of the tools you’ll need to expand yourself even further and to grow into the leader we all envisioned you to be.

At the time of this writing you’re somewhere high above the Midwest jetting your way back home where you can enjoy the pleasures of your own bed, the food you grew up with and knowing that when you awaken in the morning you won’t have another assignment to prepare for. Take the well-deserved break, Adriana, and when you’re done with that you can arise ready to take on the world.